Adhesive strip serving apparatus



Nov 29, 1938. T. R. GAUTIER ADHESIVE STRIP SERVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 11, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y. bm..

mm, m

Nov. 29, 1938.. T, R, GAUTlER 2,38,474

ADHESIVE STRIP SERVING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 1l, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Enga.

Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADHESIVE STRIP SERVING APPARATUS Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,370

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for serving or dispensing in moistened condition lengths of adhesive strip material, commonly referred to as gummed tape, for use in securing packages, and like purposes. More particularly the invention aims to provide in such` class of machine improved means, in association with other features, for conducting the tape to and past a moistening station and there applying -moisture to the gummed or adhesive face of the tape.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation showing the major lportion of one form of machine in accordance with the invention, a portion at the delivery end of the machine being broken away to show the moistening means and associated parts in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a plan View, on a slightly reduced scale, of the front or delivery end of the machine of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an expanded View of a guide unit or assembly associated with the tape feeding, severing and moistening means. l

Referring to the drawings in more particular, the machine selected for 'illustrating the improved means of my invention comprises a housing including spaced side frames l having supporting feet 5, the frames being connected as by tie Vrods of which two are seen at 6 and l, at the left in Fig. 1.

The supply of strip material, generally in the form of a roll R is supported in a compartment orwell 8 between the rear portions of the side frames, whence the strip or tape T is conducted forwardly over a guide 9, for moistening, severance, and delivery at the front end of the machine, at the left in Fig. l.

The tape is fed or advanced from the supported roll by the action of feeding means operated by a feed lever l0, the upper portion of which is broken away in Fig. l. The feed lever, seen in its stationary or return position against the buffer Il, is mounted for rocking movement as on a stud I3. It carries one or more spring pressed pawls I4 engaging a ratchet disk l5 secured to a gear I6. 'Ihe latter meshes with a pinion I1 fixed with an intermediate gear I8 which in turn `drives a gear I9 fixed on the shaft 20 of the lower feed roll or wheel 2|. The tape is grasped and fed or pushed forwardly between said lower feed member and the upper feed wheel or disk 22. 'Ihe lower portion of the feed lever and parts of 56 the described gear train are enclosed by a cover plate l2 removably held on the adjacent side frame as by the screw bolts 12a.

Beyond said rotary feed members 2l, 22 the tape is advanced past the severing means, herein including a Xed blade 23 and a cooperating movable blade or knife 24 which is normally held down in the position substantially as shown, as

by the spring 25 secured to a link 2S connecting the movable knife 24 with the inner end of a cut-off lever 2 pivoted -on the adjacent side frame as at 28. Down pressure on the finger piece 29 of the cut-off lever lifts the knife against the pull of the spring, to sever the tape against the fixed blade.

While it will be understood that the improved guiding and moistening means of the invention, about to be described, may be used in connection with tape dispensing machines of various constructions, it is particularly serviceable in association with a machine equipped with positive feeding means for advancing or thrusting the tape forwardly tothe moistening means from a point behind the latter, such as herein illustrated and above described.

As best seen, in Fig. 1, the moistening means comprises a tank or reservoir 3U removably supported between the side frames, at the delivery end of the machine, as upon the tie rod 1 and one or more positioning lugs 3|. The front portion of the tank is covered by a plate 32 serving as a delivery table, longitudinal ribs 33 thereon assisting the free forward, movement of the moistened tape. A filling and inspection aperture 34 may be provided in the tank cover.

The moistening element proper is in the form of a capillary device, herein a brush element 35 removably seated on a step 3B in the tank where it is positioned by fins 3l and by a depending lip 38 on the tank cover. The brush element, which may comprise a single brush of any desired thickness in the direction of the tape travel, or a plurality of separate brush members adjacently positioned, is adapted to project upwardly from the tank into the path of the tape substantially in the manner illustrated, so as t engage and moisten the under, gummed face of the advancing tape.

The tape is received and conducted from the feeding and severing means forwardly to and across the moistener, in proper moistening relation with the latter. For this purpose there is herein provided novel means comprising a unitary assembly, the several elements or members of which are seen separately in Fig. 3, and in operative installed position in the other igures.

entering the tape beneath the plate 53.

In more particular this guide assembly or unit includes the base member or bottom plate 4|) having a downturned lip 4| at its rear edge for each having threaded apertures 43, 49, Fig. 3,'

respectively adapted to align with those in the anges 42,' so as to receive the inner ends of the attaching screws 45, 46. At the front ends of the blocks 41 are aligned bearing apertures 50, 50 removably receiving a cross pin 5|. The latter affords pivotal support for they overguide, deflector or guide plate indicated as a whole by the numeral 52 and which overlies the path of the tape, between the cutter blades and the moistener, herein the brush element 35.

As best seen in Fig. 3, this overlying guide or deilector 52 comprises a main -deecting and guiding portion 53 of generally flat plate form. Its rear edge 54 desirably is upturned to assist in At its opposite sides the plate 53 has lateral, forwardly projecting bosses 55 apertured as at 56, 56 for reception of the pin 5|. The under portions of said side members or bosses 55 preferably are provided with feet 51, Fig. 3, adapted to rest on the upper surface of the lower guide plate 40, so as to hold the upper, deflector guide member 52 sufficiently spaced above the latter to facilitate free passage of the tape.

The described upper guide or deiiector 52 as shown has a combined Weight and iinger piece 58 by means of which it may be lifted and swung forwardly'in the manner indicated by its dotted line position in Fig. 1, showing it partly lifted. Thus substantially the entire path of the tape between the cutter and the moistener may quickly be exposed for cleaning and inspection purposes. While as regards other aspects of the invention it is not essential that the deiiector 52 be attached or that it be supported or pivoted at the location illustrated, there is a distinct and important advantage in spacing the deflector attaching or supporting means, preferably a pivotal support such as the pin 5|, substantially forwardly of the severing means, herein the cut-off blades 23, 24. The tape, particularly the lighter grades, almost inevitably will at times clog or jam Yat some point in advance of the blades, usually looping up between the blades and the overlying guide device in front'of them. Generally this is due to a softening of the tape under conditions of excess atmospheric moisture, but for whatever reason, considerable inconvenience and loss of time may be occasioned unless the operative can quickly cut off and discard the length of tape'which has jammed. Where the overlying guide device intermediate the blades and the moistener either is set in place without mechanical connection or is movably supported as by a pivot at its rear and adjacent the blades, time is lost in bodily removing and replacing such separate guide device, or in fishing out the jammed tape length from beitween such rear-pivoted device and the blades.

:;,in order to remove the section oftape which is causing the trouble. But with the construction such as herein illustrated by way of example, and wherein the overguide is movably held as by a pivot at its front-portion, at a substantial distance from the blades, free access to the tape path in advance of and adjacent the latter may be had instantly. The guide or deflector 52 need merely be flipped up, forwardly, the jammed piece cut on", picked up and discarded, and the deector dropped pivotally back into place. Moreover, with the front pivoted construction illustrated, if movement of the tape is retarded or blocked below the deector plate, the tape may automatically be cleared without so jamming, crinkling or clogging as to require special attention, for at such'times the deiiector 52, being supported at its front and freely vertically movable at its rear, may rise or be lifted by the accumulating or temporarily stalled tape suiiiciently to allow the latter to escape.

It will be noted that the entire guide assembly, including the floating presser means to be -described, is readily demountable .as a unit by removal of the screws 45, 46 whereupon the pin 5| may be slid out lengthwise to disassemble the parts carried by it. In the installed position of the parts said pin 5| is held in place by the side frames 4.

The described guide assembly is so constructed and arranged with respect to the machine as a whole that the pin 5l at the front of the overguide 52 occupies a vertical position above and adjacent the projecting upper en-d of the moistener proper or brush 35. In the illustratedexample said pin 5| also serves to support vertically yieldable presser means adapted to engage the upper or ungummed face of the tape to direct the latter in proper moistening relation with the brush as the tape passes over the latter. Such common support for the deflectoror overguide 52 and for the floating presser means is desirable in the interests of simplicity of con- As seen in Fig. 2 the assembly includes a central unit or roller 60 and two separate end units or rollers 60a, preferably with peripheral ribs or corrugations as seen at 6|. These floats or presser members may be formed Voimetal or other suitable material, of adequate weight to depress the tape, and are apertured axially as at 62 for reception upon the pin 5| or other support. desirably are of appreciatively greater diameter than that of their supporting element such as the pin 5|, substantially as shown, and the latter is so located that. the floating presser members may have a yielding movement in the direction toward and away from the brush 35, so that in effect they will ride or float on the tape opposite or substantially opposite the brush.

The length of the single iioat 66, or of the assembledplurality 66, 56a thereof', may be made to conform with the width of the tape to be dispensed, and a single or plural brush or other The axial openings 62 in said members moistener 35 of corresponding width also may be Y selected. The machine as illustrated is. adapted to handle tapes of Various widths, up to a maximum, for example, of four inches. Where tapes of maximum width are to be served, presser units desirably are distributed across substantially the entire length of their support such as the vpin5| that "is, across' the full width 'available for. :the tape path. A moistener of corresponding Width is installed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In somecases a .plurality'of interchangeable units, both of floats and moisteners, of different widthsy may be supplied to a user, so that he need not use a wider unit than is necessary if changing to a different tape for a considerable length of time. Such construction and arrangement makes for economy .and convenience from the manufacturers standpoint since the one standard machine is readily initially adapted yto meet a customers requirement for a machine for use with any specified width of tape up to the maximum. A moistener or brush of the required width isthen originally supplied by the manufacturer 'or `the retailer, as specified by the user. This results in a substantial cost savingparticularly in connection with the .narrower sizes .of tape, requiring only a narrower and less expensive brush. In the same fashion, only the specified width of float Bi), or G and ta need be supplied. For example, for the maximum widths, or where the capacity for conversion to different widths is desired, a float assembly consisting of a longer intermediate unit 68 and two, shorter end units Elia, G63@ is supplied, as in Fig. 2. `For intermediate widths, a single intermediate unit 6G is sufficient, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which case the less expensive small spacer sleeves Gib, llb are substituted for the end units Gila. Or going further, a single, shorter unit 66a may be used in central position, in conjunction with proportionately longer spacer sleeves. In general, however, any particular machine is initially set up for the widest tape with which it is likely vto be used and Whatever the selected assembly the machine will handleV any tape widthfup to capacity.

By reference particularly to Figs. l and 3 it will be noted that both the under and the upper guides or plates 4U and 52 extend fully up to the single or plural pressers or floats and, as shown, have their front portions underlying the latter, the main plate 53 of the upper guide having its front edge beveled off as at 53a to permit a cio-se approach to the presser unit. Thus it is substantially impossible for the tape to escape from its path at a point behind the presser unit, the curved under surface of which itself acts as a further defiecting guide for the advancing edge of the tape. Any tendency of the tape to buckle at the moistener is thus substantially wholly obviated.

In the illustrated example, the floating presser members 5U are cylindrical in form, and their support 5l and their apertures 62 are such not only to provide for vertical yielding or floating action of said members 6@ but also to permit them to rotate freely. Such rotative capacity is desirable and in any case makes` for maximum feed efficiency, for the reasons among others to be referred to below. In some instances, however, particularly with the lightest tapes, there may be little or no rotation imparted to the float members during passage of the tape beneath them, even though the members 69 be in fact rotatable. Hence it will be understood that my invention is not limited, as to the float members, to members of roller form or to rotary members but contemplates in the described combination floating members otherwise formed and supported.

Desirably at least the lower portion of such members is semi-cylindrical or convex so as to have but substantially a line contact upon the ungummed face of the tape. Said construction tends to reduce the total resistance or frictional drag on the tape and aids the moistening action, since the distance during which any given transverse zone of Vthe gummed face of the tape is directly pressed into engagement with the brush is reduced. Hence the tendency to wipe off gum in the course of moistening is decreased, so that the adhesive quality of the tape is not impaired, and the brush is kept cleaner. The decreased direct-pressure contact area referred to also tends to reduce wear and deformation of the brush, since the pressure on the tape and brush is of maximum effect only at a narrow zone approximating a line. By this it is not implied that the brush ,and the under or gummed face of vthe tape have merely a line contact, the refe-rence here being to the engagement between the floating member and the ungummed face of the tape. Said engagement is substantially a line, and hence the direct pressure between the floating presser and the tape and through the latter to the brush is of maximum effect along but a narrow zone approaching a line, although the length of contact between the brush and the gummed faceof the tape, as contrasted with the maximum pressureV zone, is more than a line, being substantially the full extent of the brush in the direction of tape movement.

In the preferred embodiment, such as illustrated by way of example, wherein the oat members 5l) are complete-ly cylindrical and also are freely rotatable, the fricticnal resistance to passage of the tape at the moistener is reduced to a minimum, by reason of the movable or traveling character of the rotary guide means or roller unit as here shown. The leading edge of the tape automatically enters itself between the brush and roller so long as it first contacts the latter anywhere below the diametral plane through the roller parallel with the path of the advancing tape, as it is compelled to do by the overguide 52. The convex, downwardly and forwardly inclining surface of the roller moves freely along with the tape, accurately guiding the latter into proper moistening relation with the brush and at the same time presenting little or no resistance or drag upon the tape. Hence tapes even of the relatively lighter weights` can be fed and moistened satisfactorily in the rear-fed type of machine illustrated.

In many strip servers tape has heretofore been moistened between two rollers, one of which is wetted and generally is driven. Under various circumstances such means is effective and entirely satisfactory, but the tendency is toward an insufficient moistening contact of the gummed face of the tape with the rotating moistening surface, because there the contact is but substantially a line at both faces of the tape. Other tape serving machines have used a brush and an overlying pressure plate having no movement in the direction of the tape feed, and having contact with the ungummed upper face of the tape over a substantial area thereof. The tendency there is to place an objectionable drag on the tape, and to wipe off gum onto the brush. The present combination of guiding and moistening elements, including the stationary capillary moistener brush form and the substantially line-contact float members, rotary or otherwise, avoids the objections mentioned, and affords a rapid and efficient feeding and moistening action applicable to all weights of tape.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof as illustrated and described herein, its scope being-set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, tape guide means comprising, in combination with means to underlie the tape and define its path, a defiector plate to receive and guide the tape beneath it, positioning elements on the front portion of the plate, roller means extending trans- Versely of the plate and rotatably supported between said positioning elements in position to rest by gravity on the upper face of the tape, and

pivot means associated with said positioning ele-V about the pin axis, said pivot pin extending` through aligned bearing apertures in said forward bosses, and tape presser means received on said plate pivot pin with capacity for vertical yielding movement relatively to it. f

3. In a tape serving apparatus, in combination, a frame, 'a moistener thereon for the under face of the tape, an under guide plate for conducting the tape across it to the moistener, a c0- operating, upper guide plate, said plates pro- Viding av tape path between them, said upper guide plate being pivotally mounted at its front portion, adjacent the moistener, for free vertical swinging movement away from the tape path, and roller means at said front portion of said upper plate and positioned for floating by gravity? on the upper face of the tape as it passes forwardly over the moistener.

4. Tape guide means for a machine of the class described, comprising, in combination, a deflector plate to receive and guide the tape beneath it, means at the front portion of the plate for supporting it for free pivotal movement thereat toward and from the tape path about an axis transverse of the latter, stop means limiting the approach of the plate to the tape path, rotary presser means extending transversely of the tape path adjacent the plate, and means rotatably supporting said presser means with capacity for bodily yielding movement relative to the plate so as to oat against the tape.

5. Tape guide means for a machine of the Class described, comprising, in combination, a deflector plate to receive and guide the tape beneath it, pivot means at the forward portion of the plate for supporting it for vertical pivoting movement thereat toward and from the tape path, and a guide roller rotatably supported at said forward portion of the plate and vertically yieldable relative to the plate axis so as to oat on the adjacent face of the tape.

6. Tape guide means for a machine of the class described, comprising, in combination, a deflector plate to receive and guide the tape beneath it, pivot means at the forward portion of the plate for supporting it for free pivotal movement thereat toward and from the tape path, a plurality of roller units of similar diameter disposed end to end crosswise of and adjacent the plate, and

means rotatably supporting said units each with' 

